Back in February, my mom sent over the sweetest Valentine's Basket that included chocolate and some chocolate. There were a few other things that I can't remember, except that they were of the non-chocolate variety which sorta lost my attention (you had me at Chocolate.). All in all, a very fine and much appreciated gift.

A few weeks went by and I noticed this card in my wallet, and it took me a minute to figure out from whence it had come. And then I remembered it was in that basket, mixed in with my Dark Master -- and I realized it was a gift card to the newly-opened car wash down the street.

As you might imagine, my car is not the cleanest set of wheels on the street. I have long told Paul that it's virtually impossible to keep a clean house and a clean car (for me anyway) and if something's gotta give, aren't you glad it's the car? Once, when I was in college, I started a contest (with my car) to see how many fast food cups we could accumulate until I started to get antsy. I was blown away by my abilities and the massive collection of cups in my backseat. My car found it to be immature and also hoggish.

One recent Saturday, I spied that gift card again. And it was right after the Worst Trip Ever to Sonic Happy Hour, one that involved a) our entire drink order being wrong (not the worst thing in the world, very fixable); b) someone's large Dr. Pepper spilling all over the back seat as we pulled out (that's cool, serenity now, insanity later); and c) me smashing into the menu board as I pulled back in to get another (half-priced!) Dr. Pepper. In all the hundreds of times I have pulled in and out of a slot ordering my Diet Coke, I have never, ever, rammed into the menu board. Until that day.

The manager came out, took one look at the board and told me it was fine. "Sometime's we get 'em smashed straight to the ground," she said. And I done liked to hug that woman.

So after dropping the boys off at home, and explaining to Paul through tears what had happened, I drove on down to Lulu's carwash to use my gift card. I couldn't even begin to wash out the soda until all the pine needles were gone. I took two of the boys and we rode through the wash and then out the other side to the vacuum section where I discovered, as angels descended from heaven and trumpets blared, that at Lulu's, vacuuming was Free and Unlimited!

Three hours later, I drove home with the cleanest, most vacuumed-out car I have ever owned. Usually, when Paul convinces me it's time to clean the car, we race to the vacuum place down the way and speed through the process. You can hear the time ticking as your precious quarters get sucked away. Here? That pressure does not exist.

So this Sunday, after Mass and breakfast out, I suggested we go again! And experience the freedom and joy that is Vacuums, Free and Unlimited! And we did. And it was wonderful. I'm hooked -- and I think Paul is wondering what in the world he did to deserve this miracle in his life.